Hiroshi Murayama1, Jersey Liang2, Joan M Bennett2, Benjamin A Shaw3, Anda Botoseneanu4, Erika Kobayashi5, Taro Fukaya5, Shoji Shinkai5. 1. Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan. murayama@tmig.or.jp. 2. Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 3. Department of Health Policy, Management and Behavior, School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Rensselaer. 4. Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, Michigan. Department of Internal Medicine/Geriatrics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. 5. Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This research analyzed the body mass index (BMI) level and rate of change, and their association with socioeconomic status among older Japanese adults. METHODS: Data came from a national sample of over 4,800 Japanese adults aged 60 and older at baseline, with up to 7 repeated observations over a period of 19 years (1987-2006). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze the intrapersonal and interpersonal differences in BMI. RESULTS: Average BMI among older Japanese was 22.26 at baseline and decreased with an accelerating rate over time. Relative to those with less education, BMI among older Japanese with more education was lower and it declined linearly at a faster rate over time. In contrast, higher household income at baseline was associated with a higher level of BMI but similar rates of decline over time. Furthermore, we found no evidence for age variations in the SES-BMI linkage as predicted by prior investigators. DISCUSSION: These findings provide new insights into the complex relationship between socioeconomic factors and BMI, and help to inform the design of health policies and interventions related to weight control among older adults with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
OBJECTIVES: This research analyzed the body mass index (BMI) level and rate of change, and their association with socioeconomic status among older Japanese adults. METHODS: Data came from a national sample of over 4,800 Japanese adults aged 60 and older at baseline, with up to 7 repeated observations over a period of 19 years (1987-2006). Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze the intrapersonal and interpersonal differences in BMI. RESULTS: Average BMI among older Japanese was 22.26 at baseline and decreased with an accelerating rate over time. Relative to those with less education, BMI among older Japanese with more education was lower and it declined linearly at a faster rate over time. In contrast, higher household income at baseline was associated with a higher level of BMI but similar rates of decline over time. Furthermore, we found no evidence for age variations in the SES-BMI linkage as predicted by prior investigators. DISCUSSION: These findings provide new insights into the complex relationship between socioeconomic factors and BMI, and help to inform the design of health policies and interventions related to weight control among older adults with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
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